


Something New

by starrywolf101



Series: Wrote This Instead Of Sleeping [10]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Acceptance, Angst, Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety Attacks, Backstory, Comfort, Comfort/Angst, Crying, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Grief/Mourning, How Do I Tag, Hugs, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Men Crying, Morality | Patton Sanders Angst, Morality | Patton Sanders Tries, Morality | Patton Sanders-centric, One Shot, Regret, Sad, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-10-03 20:50:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20459276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrywolf101/pseuds/starrywolf101
Summary: Every good story begins with a Once Upon A Time!"Once upon a time, there were four Sides happy as they can be; they were a family. They're names were Morality, Logic, Creativity, and Caution."





	Something New

**Author's Note:**

> Hiiii! This is my first Sanders Sides story! I only just recently got into this fandom, which means I spent a full day binge watching all of Thomas's Sanders Sides videos.
> 
> I seriously wrote this instead of sleeping, so enjoy my tired brain writing!

Once upon a time, there were four Sides happy as can be; they were a family. Their names were Morality, Logic, Creativity, and Caution. They worked together to help Thomas grow up and live happily. Early on, life was simple for the Sides. Sure, they had their fights on what was best for their host, but they always came to an agreement in the end and that's all that really mattered.

Morality was Thomas's heart: his sense of right and wrong. Being the oldest of the four Sides, he always took on the 'parental' figure. He formed the habit of calling the others his "kiddo" from the moment Creativity manifested. Then Logic came into existence, confusing both emotionally-driven Sides on how to deal with him. They managed, though.

It wasn't long after Logic appeared that another Side made himself known. This Side called himself Deceit, and admitted to lurking around for a long time; hiding in the shadows. He claimed to be almost as old as Morality; claiming to be necessary opposites as to balance out. Morality refused to believe that Thomas, such an innocent little boy, had the ability to deceive others, so he shut Deceit out.

When Thomas began to discover darker thoughts hidden in his imagination, Morality panicked and confronted Creativity. They argued loudly while Logic helplessly tried to stop them. It happened in a flash; Morality did something unforgivable. In his anger, he split Creativity into two entities. One boy in a white outfit and the other in a black outfit. In the confusion, Morality panicked and snatched up the good Creativity and Logic before quickly vanishing. He had abandoned the other Creativity and left the new Side to fend for himself.

After learning they could never be whole again, the new Creativities renamed themselves: the good called himself "The Prince" after all the heroic princes in the stories, and the other adopting the more evil title of "The Duke". While raising Princey, Morality learned that Deceit had taken in the other Creativity. He breathed out a sigh of relief, a little less guilt rested on his shoulders.

After a long while of nothing new happening, Morality happened upon a new Side that he had never seen before. Looking scared and helpless, Caution timidly introduces himself to Morality. The new Side was afraid of his new surroundings, only having existed as a natural fight or flight response before getting a form. Unlike every other Side, Caution wasn't learned; he was the manifestation of Thomas's primal fear. The others could tell just how different he was immediately upon interacting with Caution.

So, with one more kid to raise, Morality helped Caution understand the world and not be so afraid. When Caution admitted to being afraid of the dark, Morality summoned a night light. He claimed the nightlight would help Caution find his way home if he were ever lost. Slowly, with constant love and affection, the nervous Side came out of his shell and accepted his role as protector. The four of them became family and relied on each other to solve problems.

It was the beginning of Middle School when something went wrong. Slowly, they all noticed Caution get weaker and weaker. They watched helplessly as he faded. Morality wept when suddenly Caution had disappeared over night; Princey cursed the world for its cruelty; and Logic retreated into his studies in hopes to distance himself from any and all emotion. 

After Caution disappeared, everyone noticed a difference within Thomas. He became more anxious of everything. Not only that, but they all felt the self-loathing from their host. It nearly ripped Morality's already damaged heart in two <strike>like what he did to Creativity</strike>.

It goes on for years: long after Thomas graduated high school. Then, one day, they discover the problem. They meet a terrifying Side by the name of Anxiety. Though, the way he carries himself, as well as the little nervous habits that Morality caught when Anxiety thought no one was looking, reminded him of his little Caution. Anxiety reminded Morality of his youngest and it hurt. Though, Morality pushed his negative feeling down and kept smiling through the pain.

Now that Thomas was grown, all the Sides picked out names for themselves. Morality went with Patton; Princey called himself Roman, and Logic named himself Logan. 

Then, Thomas starts his youtube channel, and suddenly the Sides were interacting with the videos. Slowly, they worked out their problems. Patton always found that his heart jumped excitedly whenever Anxiety showed up. He tried to welcome the Side with welcoming arms despite the insults from Roman and the coldness from Logan.

When Anxiety ducked out (quack), Patton almost felt like he was losing his child all over again. So, they went to convince him to come back. In the end, they were successful. Anxiety trusted them enough to introduce his name: Virgil.

Virgil had accepted a place in their little family.

Patton knew Virgil would never replace Caution, but the anxious Side helped to heal the scar in his heart. The pain would never truly be gone, but Patton finally felt himself moving forward instead of being stuck in the same cycle. Then The Duke, also known as Remus, tears them apart all over again. After dealing with him, and working through their problems, each of the Sides sink out one by one.

Later, Patton is alerted by the sound of crying. He follows the sound until he comes across the door to Virgil's room. He knocks before entering like a worried parent. "Virgil?" He calls into the dark cautiously.

"Dad?" The anxious Side brokenly calls back. The nickname causes his heart to flutter while simultaneously throb in pain. Patton finds Virgil curled up on the floor in the middle of an anxiety attack. He helps Virgil calm down with the breathing technique he always uses to help Thomas. When he's able to catch his breath without hyperventilating, Virgil hiccups out something heartbreaking: "I told Thomas… I told him I was a dark side… and he just stared at me in silence." 

Unable to find his voice, Patton hugs Virgil tightly; he was trying to convey all his love for the other Side with the gesture. After a moment of complete silence, Patton finally says the words he's been holding for years. "You remind me _ so much _ of my baby." His voice wracked with years upon years of grief. "I don't care how Thomas reacts to your past. I'm not losing another child!" The two of them cling to each other as if there was no tomorrow. 

"I missed you, dad," Virgil murmurs into Patton's shoulder.

Through his own sniffles, Patton manages to get out a joke: "Missed me? But you didn't throw anything!" The two of them laugh through their tears at the dad joke. 

"No… growing up," Virgil clarifies. "Deceit was never physically affectionate towards me. Remus made it much worse with his constant disturbing thoughts…" Virgil looks off into the distance, as if stuck in a memory. "As I steadily grew more and more independent, Deceit and I would fight more and more. I guess the final straw was when I finally packed up and left."

Tears started to once again steadily fall down Virgil's cheeks. Patton grabs hold of both his wrists and rubs soothing circles on the pale skin.

"I've always been afraid of the dark," Virgil shakily says. "It took me years, but I finally found my nightlight to guide me back home." That was all the conformation Patton needed for a sob to wrack through his frame. When Virgil looks into Patton's eyes, all he could see was happiness.

"You came home!" Patton cried out in joy. "I'm proud of who you are, so never forget that!" Patton squeezes Virgil's hands. "I missed you too~"


End file.
